Five Wrestlers Nationally Ranked | Team 13th
Findlay, OH – The University of Findlay wrestling team has vaulted into the national rankings for the first time this season after being unranked in the preseason release of the poll. The Roughnecks debut as the #13 team in the country, their highest ranking since being ranked #8 at the beginning of last season.
Sophomore Josh Wimer, who has a career record of 50-25, is off to a tremendous start to the season and is the Roughnecks' highest ranked wrestler. He has a record of 14-4 already this year, has won both the Findlay Open and the Wisconsin Open, and is ranked #3 in the country at 141 pounds. His biggest win of the season came in the championship match of the Wisconsin Open where he won a 15-10 decision over Nate Rodriguez of Maryville, #4 in the nation at 141 pounds. Wimer's has not lost a match to an NCAA Division II opponent this season with his only losses coming at the hands of Division I wrestlers.
Checking in as the #7 wrestler in the country at 165 pounds, sophomore Alonzo Turner, who qualified for the national championship tournament in his freshman season, has a record of 14-3 this season and has tournament wins from the Wisconsin Open and the Ohio Intercollegiate Open. Turner's lone win against a wrestler who is currently in the top-12 came against #8 Kade Kitchens (Shorter) in the Wisconsin Open championship match.
Senior Bradley Metz (in picture), a national qualifier in the 2013-14 season, is ranked ninth in the country at 174 pounds through four events. He has a 4-1 record this season, all of which came during his run at the Findlay Open where he took second place.
Junior Schulyer Phillips is currently ranked 10th in the nation at his weight class of 125 pounds. This season he has a 4-1 record with his only loss coming to #2 Willie Bohince of Mercyhurst.
Roughneck heavyweight senior Luke Fleming, who was a national qualifier in the 2014-15 season, is the final wrestler ranked in the top-12, checking in at #12. Fleming has started the year with a 15-4 record and has a win over current #5 Donnell Walker (Maryville) which came in the championship round of the Wisconsin Open.
The Roughnecks take their #13 ranking to the annual National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Duals in Fort Wayne, Ind. on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 16-17.